Spam email. Phishing. Spear phishing. Whaling. Pharming. There are many different types of email attacks and cybersecurity threats to be aware of. What’s more, cybercriminals are becoming more intelligent and sophisticated in their attempts to infiltrate networks and secure confidential information, making it more challenging for businesses to protect themselves. Here, we discuss one of the key terms that every enterprise needs to know to keep their employees safe against cyber threats and prevent financial losses – malware.
What is Malware?
Malware is the term given to the many software types that cybercriminals use to extract important data from their victims.
Types of malware include:
- Viruses
- Ransomware
- Spyware
- Trojan Horses
- Adware
Some of these software types steal confidential data (e.g. Trojans) and others encrypt devices to take ownership of files and folders until a fee has been paid (e.g. ransomware).
Malware can be extremely dangerous for three major reasons:
- Company data breaches could severely tarnish your reputation. If your clients don’t trust your business to keep their personal and financial information protected against attackers, they are unlikely to develop a strong partnership with you.
- Malware could lead to huge financial losses for your business. From the cost of replacing infected devices to the potential theft of monetary data, it’s fair to say that malware attacks can be hugely damaging. Remember – it is much more cost-effective to prevent security breaches, such as by investing in anti-spam software, than to recover from one.
- Malware attacks can leave your business vulnerable to further security breaches. Once your servers are compromised, other cybercriminals may take advantage. This has the potential to be irreversibly damaging.
So, how do you protect your business against these potential threats?
How to Protect Your Business Against Malware
Putting measures in place to protect your company against all data security threats is key to minimising employee stress levels, preventing the loss of important clients, keeping your reputation intact and avoiding significant financial downfalls.
The first step is to offer your employees comprehensive data protection training to help them identify and flag up potential threats as quickly as possible. This will help your employees connect to your server more confidently and give them a protocol to follow if they do download a harmful malware attachment.
Training your employees is vital, but the most effective way to prevent malware from reaching your company servers in the first place is to invest in an anti-spam gateway, such as MailCleaner.
Did you know that 66% of malware is installed via attachments sent by email? By eliminating harmful emails from reaching your employee inboxes with MailCleaner, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack.
To learn more about the many benefits of MailCleaner or to discuss which option is right for your SME or large business, contact our team today. We look forward to considering your data security requirements in more detail.